Family Class

The Spousal Sponsorship Category

The Spousal Sponsorship program is a subsection of the Family Class Immigration Category. Under this program, a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident may sponsor a spouse or common-law partner for Canadian Permanent Residence.

In order to receive a visa through this immigration program, the sponsor and sponsored person must prove that their relationship qualifies under one of three categories:

Spouse

Common-law Partner

Conjugal Partner

The sponsor is financially responsible for the person sponsored for three years after the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.

Note

Canada recognizes same-sex marriage, and same-sex partners may be eligible to apply under any of the above three categories, provided they meet all eligibility requirements.

After Sponsorship

Permanent Residence granted under the Spousal Sponsorship Program carries certain conditions that must be fulfilled:

The sponsor is financially responsible for the person sponsored for three years after the sponsored person becomes a Permanent Resident.

Individuals who come to Canada as spouses are themselves barred from sponsoring a spouse in turn for five years after receiving Canadian Permanent Residence.

Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Category

Immigration laws for the sponsorship of parents and grandparents have gone under repeated changes. While Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents can sponsor their parents or grandparents, the only constants in this type of sponsorship are frequent changes in policy, tough competition and long processing times.

While it is tempting to do everything yourself, successfully sponsoring your family involves far more than just filling out forms. There are often other issues to consider throughout the process: medical insurance, coming to Canada before or during your immigration processing, working during immigration processing, children from previous relationships, and more. Conspan Immigration can advise you on structuring a proper immigration strategy, prepare a convincing case with supporting documentation, prepare for interviews.

To be eligible as a SPONSOR, you must be:

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and

At least 18 years old

Sponsors of parents/ grandparents and their dependents are also required to meet the Minimum Necessary Income for their corresponding family size. Sponsors must provide Notices of Assessment from the CRA to IRCC to prove that they meet the minimum necessary income

Aside from these, a sponsor must sign a Sponsorship Undertaking, an agreement with the Canadian government, which states their willingness and ability to financially support their sponsored family member/s for the period of the undertaking, which is 20 years from the time the sponsored parent/ grandparent and their accompanying family members become permanent residents.

If the sponsor lives in Quebec, an additional undertaking agreement must be signed.

If you do not qualify for Parental PR sponsorship because you do not meet the MNI for the 3year period, you can apply for a Super Visa as the income required is only for 1 year and it is about 30% lower.

Super-Visa:

Another way to bring Parents and Grandparents to Canada is through the Super Visa program. This program allows family members to come to Canada as long-term visitors on a multiple entry visa that may last up to 10 years. A Super Visa is valid for 2 years before it has to be extended. The financial requirements are less onerous than sponsoring for permanent residence. Sponsors only need to meet 1-year MNI, which is 30% lower than the requirement for PR sponsorship.

We can also help you prepare an error-free impeccable application to ensure your success as a sponsor.

To be eligible for a Super Visa:

The sponsor must meet the minimum necessary income (for Super Visa) requirement, and provide the most recent Canadian tax return (Notice of assessment) where line 150 meets or exceeds this amount.

A written commitment of financial support from the Sponsor (child or grandchild) must be provided

Depending on the citizenship of the sponsored person, a TRV (Temporary Resident Visa)may also be required for non-visa-exempt countries. If a TRV is required, please be advised that there is a rigorous screening process and there is a high rate of refusal when individuals apply on their own.

Who Can Apply for the Super Visa?

Parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents may be eligible to apply for the Super Visa. The applicants cannot be inadmissible to Canada on the basis of health or security, and they may be required to meet specific conditions set forth by the visa office through which they will be applying.

It is important to note that no dependents can be included on this application. Only parents or grandparents, together with their spouses or common-law partners, may be included on an application for the Super Visa.

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Disclaimer

Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information provided on this site is accurate.No guarantees for the accuracy of information are made. Conspan website and material relating to information and immigration policies is provided as is. Information on this website is subject to change without prior notice. Conspan is not liable for any inaccuracy or incomplete information.